


Yamaguchi's no-sleep chronicles

by Rossini



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi just adopts Yamaguchi and Bokuto goes along with it, But it's only mentioned briefly sometimes, Childhood Friends, Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I guess (??), I mean this is tsukkiyama what did you expect, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Sleepovers, The author has a crush on Sugawara and it shows™, Tokyo Training Camp Arc (Haikyuu), Yamaguchi Tadashi & Kozume Kenma friendship, Yamaguchi has anxiety, this is just some self indulgent fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25906897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rossini/pseuds/Rossini
Summary: In which Yamaguchi Tadashi couldn't sleep, gets a slight game addiction and makes friends at odd hours.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 165





	Yamaguchi's no-sleep chronicles

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! So, it's my first fic and I'm a little nervous, specially since english isn't my native language (the verb tenses may be a bit off, I'm not sure-), but I think that overall I did a pretty good job at it!! Even tho this is basically 100% self indulgent fluff and me wanting to see Yama interacting with my other faves lol
> 
> Also, as it's focused on Tadashi, I refer to Tsukishima as Tsukki all times, hope it doesn't feel strange or anything (??)
> 
> I wrote while listening to this playlist, it's a very good one so give it a try! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6d54gx0uzLxrrWOwqXbemv?si=puddYf59TU-ayU2P1pP0hA 
> 
> ☆I really hope you enjoy it and thanks for clicking in!! Nice reading!!☆
> 
> (Se vc é br seja bem vinde ao meu surto tsukkiyama básico, espero q goste!!)

Yamaguchi Tadashi couldn't sleep.

Wich, in fact, was a recurring event in his life. Since very young he had an anxiety that not only bothered him all day long, making him worry over the smallest things, but also at night, thoughts going a mile per hour and making it impossible for him to get some needed rest.

He and his mother (bless her) always tried to amenize it and keep at a minimum. With the passage of the years his anxiety at day was kept at bay, but at night he still couldn't just close his eyes and fall asleep.

So he developed a habit of gaming into late hours of dawn until he felt so tired he couldn't think anymore. He was already used to getting little sleep anyway, might as well keep himself entertained.

He also discovered he liked to watch cooking videos on YouTube and try the recipes by himself, but as he didn't want to make a mess and wake his mother up at god-knows-when-am he decided to stick to gaming.

His mother still worried a lot about his sleeping habits, looking at the dark bags under his eyes on the mornings after nights spent playing, but he smiled and tried to reassure her that yes he was fine, yes he could pay attention to school in that state, yes he liked the new game and yes love you too, have a good day at work mom. 

xXx

When Tadashi entered Karasuno and, specifically, the volleyball team, he burnt so much energy that it didn't matter where he was, be it at his own house, Tsukki's house, or even just going out at the store to pick some things up, he felt more tired and started to be able to fall asleep way earlier than he used to do. 

It didn't mean that he wasn't anxious anymore (he definitely was), just that the nights when his thoughts got too loud were decreasing in it's frequency. 

He still carried his Nintendo Switch and favorite games in his bag whenever he was going to a sleepover, just for precaution.

xXx

The soft sounds of Tadashi's fingers hitting the console's buttons was the only thing that could be heard at two am. He was going to win this battle and go to the next gymnasium for sure! His Drizzile was doing super well and the hits of his opponent weren't being very effective, luck was on his side! 

When he went to Tsukki's house to study for his english test, this isn't what he expected to be doing at this hour (he expected to be sleeping, obviously), but the nervousness about not doing well in the test and eventually not going to the Tokyo training camp kept him up. 

He was sprawled on the futon near the bed at Tsukki's room, cocooned in a soft blanket and using the pillow (that smelled faintly like Tsukki's sweet shampoo) to support his elbows while he focused on the Switch's screen. 

He had turned the volume off, of course, because it didn't matter how much he liked to listen to the battle soundtrack, he also didn't want to accidentally wake Tsukki up. 

In situations like these he usually picked his earphones up and put on his favorite playlist, but, embarrassingly enough, he had forgotten his own at his home and didn't want to use Tsukki's headphones without his permission.

Still, it was way too quiet for his liking, so he started to hum softly a song that was stuck in his head all day, being careful as to not be too loud and wake anyone up.

Some time passed and he was on his way to Spikemuth after beating Melony when he heard some moving on the bed and stopped humming. He looked up, trying to determine whether Tsukki had woken up or was just moving in his sleep.

He released a relieved sigh when he didn't hear any more moving above and drove his focus back to the game. He was at the end of route nine, almost at his destination. 

"Yamaguchi, you're awake." 

Tadashi almost jumped from surprise, but kept his reaction at minimum. Tsukki's voice was really soft and low, he was sounding very sleepy. 

"Yeah, couldn't sleep." He murmured, not wanting to raise his voice.

Tsukki made a humming sound of acknowledgment at that. He kept quiet for a bit and Tadashi thought he had went back to sleep when he spoke up again.

"Come here, then." He raised his blanket, as if inviting his best friend to slip under it.

They both knew about Tadashi's difficulty to get to sleep and found out in one of their previous sleepovers that having company on his bed helped him to calm down and get grounded to earth, eventually falling asleep easier. It didn't always work, but Tadashi appreciated that Tsukki was willing to share his bed with him if it had even a little chance of helping him rest.

"Don't worry Tsukki, you can go back to sleep without me bothering you in your bed." He was grateful for the offer, really, but didn't want to disturb his friend's rest.

"You won't be bothering me by coming here, but I will get annoyed if you don't come here right now." He pratically slurred, still sleepy, but making his point clear.

It was kind of cute, seeing Tsukki is this state. It wasn't his usual grumpy and salty mood, but rather a soft and caring one. Tadashi felt really lucky to be the only one who was able to see this side of his best friend.

"Tsukki... Just go back to sleep."

Tsukki sighed tiredly. "If you're not coming up here I'll be going down there, and we both know where is more confortable."

He had made a solid point there.

Tadashi got up, put his Switch to charge and crawled under the covers with Tsukki. 

xXx

Morning comes, as it always does, and Tadashi wakes up slowly. 

He sees he's left a little spot of drool on Tsukki's shirt where he had put his head on while sleeping, but neither boy minds it. Tsukki's fingers are lazily massaging his scalp, making him almost purr with contentment. He snuggles a bit more, as if it would prolong the moment. 

And the best part: he actually feels rested. 

Still, when Tsukki offers him coffe that morning, (that he knows Tsukki doesn't like, "it's too bitter", he says) but made anyway (for tadashi, it's always for him), he accepts with a smile.

xXx

He passes his english test with a good enough grade and him and Tsukki go to a new sweets shop to celebrate after practice. Tadashi drinks his strawberry milkshake happily while listening to Tsukki complaining about Hinata and Kageyama's grades. 

"I thought the two idiots were sharing a brain cell, but apparently it's only half of one." He says casually, as if it was a fact, and something in his tone makes Tadashi snicker. "And they only use it at full capability when it comes to volleyball, anyway."

On the walk home they pass a convenience store, Tadashi blabbering on about the new Pokémon he captured and Tsukki listening while picking some things up (milk, coffe, sugar, a strawberry flavored Koala's yummie).

It all seemed very... domestic. Tadashi felt good about it, seeing Tsukki picking a cherry lollipop for him at the cash registrer. 

xXx

He was already feeling a bit nervous about the start of training camp, but it was the third night and he couldn't shut his eyes. 

He was worried about Tsukki and their discussion from earlier that day. Of course, Tadashi knew he was right, and so did Tsukki, (he even had called him cool!). Still, he couldn't help his sudden anxiety of Tsukki being angry with him (he wasn't, he even smilled at you!) or deciding to quit volleyball after deciding pride wasn't reason enough (Tsukki likes the sport, he wouldn't quit, think rationally!).

At first he tried to play games on his cellphone or just scroll through twitter to pass some time, his phone brigthness at the minimum to not disturb anyone else sleeping in their team-shared room. 

It was almost midnight when he decided that he wouldn't be getting much sleep that night. He got up carefully, not wanting to wake Tsukki, who was sleeping close to him, up, and put his phone to charge. He went to his bag and grabbed his fully charged Nintendo Switch. 

Quietly, he made his way back to his sleeping bag and started to play Animal Crossing once he was all set up again. 

He didn't get his earphones in case someone woke up and started to talk to him. Still, Tadashi kept playing, going to different islands and digging fossils and minerals.

On the game, the chibi version of himself seemed to be having the time of his life, going around catching bugs and fishing. He had some flower seeds on his house inventory and decided to use them. 

After sometime planting and watering the new flowers, making them stay in two symmetrical heart shapes in front of his house, he decided to create a new jacket design, trying to make Allister's uniform. 

It wasn't long until Tadashi started to feel thirsty and looked at the time, noticing it was a quarter past one already. He stayed still for a moment, thinking if he should go to the shared dorm kitchen to drink some water or if it wasn't worth the bother.

Eventually he decided to get up and go, taking his Switch with him out of habit. He opened and closed the door as softly as he could and tiptoed to his destination. 

He was surprised to see that he had company. The lights were out but neither were keen on turning them on. The other boy didn't seem to have noticed Tadashi's presence yet, too focused on getting something out one of the lower cabinets.

Tadashi cleared his throat to catch the other's attention before whispering. "Uh.... Hey there." 

The other boy didn't say anything before getting the snack he wanted. When he did, he turned to face Tadashi. "Oh, hello. I didn't expect anyone to be up at this hour."

"Yeah, neither did I." Tadashi said with a puff of laugther. 

Kozume, the setter from Nekoma, just hummed. He wasn't the social type (neither was Tadashi, really, not much). They just stared awkwardly at each other for some seconds, Tadashi nervously fiddling with his Switch. 

He was about to say something to break the silence when Kozume spoke. "Oh, were you playing something?"

"Yeah! I was just doing some adjusts on my island." He answered, relieved from the break of the uncomfortable atmosphere. He didn't specify much what he was playing, but he knew Kozume liked games, so the setter probably understood what he was talking about anyway.

"I see... I was doing the same thing before getting hungry." Kozume mumbled, not looking Tadashi in the eyes.

"Really? If you want to, we could visit each other's island!" Tadashi suggest, getting excited. He didn't have any other friends to play with, Tsukki only had an account on Tadashi's Switch for local multiplayer gaming when they were bored, so it would be nice to have someone to talk about these things.

"Yeah, that would be... Nice." Kozume agreed with a little smile. Tadashi supposed they were in similar situations.

"Great! I'll drink some water first and then we could play here." Tadashi offered, not knowing any other spot to play that wouldn't bother anyone.

"Ok, just a minute, I'll go get my Switch." Kozume said and turned, going back to nekoma's room without another word.

When he came back, Tadashi had already drunk his water, and both boys sat by the table to play. Tadashi went to Kozume's island first, a very good looking and organized one. He could tell the other boy spent a lot of time on the game. 

They had some fun, Tadashi enjoying a lot to talk with the different villagers and Kozume giving his opinion on them. The pinch server even gasped, delighted, when he saw Raymond there. 

The both of them also went to Tadashi's island, wich was very humble compared to the other one, but still made him proud. He showed his personalized clothes and Kozume got a bit impressed with his pixel art skills. 

The Nori Shio chips the setter had gotten earlier was shared between them and they couldn't even see the time passing. It was almost three and a half in the morning when both Switch bateries started to run low and they decided to try to go to sleep. 

"Good night, Tadashi, it was fun playing with you." Kozume softly said when they were parting ways.

"Yeah, it really was! Thanks, Kozume, have a good night as well!" 

"Oh, just Kenma is fine."

"Alright then, sweet dreams, Kenma!" 

And thus Tadashi put his Switch to charge on the place his phone had been and went to sleep, his discussion with Tsukki on the back of his mind and not bothering him so much anymore. 

He dreamt about Applepi and Tadachan having a good natured nest fight at his island.

xXx

Tadashi had to wake up early as usual and go to the morning matches. He was feeling a bit sleepy, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle, so he was fine.

Tsukki seemed to have noticed his drowsiness and went to question him about it when they were going to get lunch.

"What time did you went to sleep yesterday, Yamaguchi?" 

"Oh, don't worry about it, Tsukki! I'm okay to train!" 

"What time, Yamaguchi?" He repeated, putting an emphasis on the phrase.

"Uh... I..." Before he had to asnwer, Kenma went to them, surprising both friends. They thought he was going to pass on a message for Tsukki in Kuroo's place or something similar.

"Hey, Tadashi, I was wondering if you could help me with something..." He murmured, looking at the ground. 

"Of course I can, Kenma! What do you need?" He said, pleased to see that Kenma had liked his company.

He blushed a bit and hesitated, but steeled his resolve to tell his request. "I... brought my Mario Kart..." He trailed off, but Tadashi understood the invitation there. 

"Oh, me too, we can play it if you want! I just need to pick my Switch up at my room..."

"And what about lunch?" Asked Tsukki, in his dry way of speaking, reinserting himself in the conversation. He seemed a bit confused with this unexpected interaction, but otherwise remained calm and collected as ever. 

"You're right Tsukki, we need to eat first! Did you have lunch, Kenma?" 

"Yeah, I already ate a bit." 

"Well, you could come with us and then we can play! You don't mind, right Tsukki?" Tadashi offered, wanting to keep Kenma company. Tsukki didn't seem too pleased to have to interact with more people than necessary, but Kenma was quiet enough, so he didn't complain about it.

The three of them sat at a table on the corner of the cafeteria and the two Karasuno players started to eat. It was calm until Kuroo saw Kenma sitting with them and went there, wich lead Bokuto there and that lead Akaashi there. Soon the table was full with commotion, Bokuto and Kuroo trying to rile Tsukki up, Akaashi eating quietly while observing them, Tsukki giving his snarky remarks and Kenma seeming to just want to get out of there already.

Tadashi finished his rice as quick as possible and nudged Kenma, signalizing for the both of them to sneak out of there. Kenma nodded and when Bokuto slammed the table, making his own bowl of rice almost fly off and kuroo laugh as a hyena, they went without a word. 

Tadashi felt a bit bad about leaving Tsukki to deal with the loud captains alone, but Akaashi was there and well, if they were going to train together they should learn to get along. 

Kenma and Tadashi were later found sitting at the floor in front of the gym, Tadashi being really invested on their race and Kenma concentrating so hard he forgot about his whereabouts. 

xXx

Tadashi went to the gym where Tsukki was training. Training hours where almost over anyway and he wanted to grab dinner together and go to sleep soon. 

He stood by the door, seeing the captains from Nekoma and Fukurodani play. It really was amazing to see them up close like this, he could feel how talented they were.

"Oi, Tsukki, I didn't know you would call your friend to play today." Kuroo said, noticing Tadashi there. 

Tadashi couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed to see the other using his nickname. 

The focus of the room turned to him, wich made him a bit nervous. "I-I'm not- he didn't- I just..." He stumbled over his words, feeling his face heat up.

Bokuto laughed. "Hey hey, don't worry, we don't bite! Only sometimes, of course." He winked comically (or it was supposed to be comical, not really succeeding with it).

Tadashi wasn't sure if it was meant to reassure him, but it wasn't working. "Uh..."

"It was a joke, we really don't bite! Right Akaashi?" 

"Yes, Bokuto, we do not bite." The setter said in a monotone tone, as if he was done with the world for today. Wich he probably was.

"Shut up, you clown." Tsukki said with no real malice, just annoyance towards Bokuto's antics. "What do you need, Yamaguchi?" He asked, his voice softening a bit. 

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you to remember dinner time...." He said, a bit shy about the whole situation.

"Yes, he's right, we should stop training for today and go eat." Akaashi agreed, seeming a little relieved.

"Thanks for the reminder, freckles!" Said Kuroo, going to him and stroking his hair, messing it up. 

"Uh, no problem..."

Tsukki sighed. "Yeah, yeah, let's go, Yamaguchi." He went to the door as well.

"Hey, what about cleaning up?!" Called Bokuto.

"I'll just leave it to you. Have fun with that, maybe burn some of your extra energy." And with that he went on his way, making Yamaguchi apologize on his behalf and run to catch up with him.

"So, how was training, Tsukki?" 

"Exhausting."

"Hmm... Did you learn something new?" 

"Not yet."

"I see... Well, today at extra practice Nishinoya and Hinata almost broke the net, you know?"

Tsukki made a humming sound, as if to prompt him to continue his story. 

"It was kind of funny actually! It started when Hinata had had another discussion with Kageyama..." 

He went on rambling about a flying Nishinoya and a very scary Daichi. Tsukki even smirked at some bits or made comments like "what else did you expect from that airhead" or "no wonder Sugawara's hair is already grey from the stress". 

After having had dinner and a bath, Tadashi went to his sleeping bag, saying a quiet "good night, Tsukki" and falling asleep rather quickly.

xXx

At the next day's morning matches Tadashi stood more alert and even was called once to show his pinch serve (wich succeeded!). He was feeling more energetic after getting enough sleep, not caring about running that hill again after the team's loss. 

He and Tsukki were eating lunch again, this time Kenma not keeping them company, as he was already busy talking with Hinata. Tadashi felt thirsty and went to refill his cup of water.

When he was drinking it while making his way back to the table he was jumped on, a loud "Hey hey hey" by his ear making him almost jump out of his skin. He choked on the water and started to have a coughing fit, wich made Bokuto start to apologize frantically by his side and slap him hard on the back.

"Bokuto." Came a chilly voice from behind them. Just hearing it's sound made Bokuto stop his slaps and turn around slowly. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm... helping freckles." 

A sigh. "No, this way you're not. Go get him some more water." Akaashi demanded. Bokuto complied without much struggle. 

Akaashi went to Yamaguchi, who was still wheezing a bit, and rubbed his back soothingly, waiting for him to calm down and recover. 

"I apologize for Bokuto's behavior." Akaashi said softly, unlike the cold way Tadashi kind of expect him to always talk like.

"Oh, it's no problem, I'm sure he didn't mean any harm!" 

"Yes, I'm sure he didn't."

Speaking of him, just a few seconds passed and Bokuto came back running with a full cup of water. 

"Freckles! I'm sorry, here, have some more water!" He said while pushing the cup to Tadashi's hands, almost making it spill. 

"Bokuto, be more gentle or you will end up dropping it." Akaashi reprimanded. 

"It's ok, thanks for the water, Bokuto." Tadashi said, leading the cup to his mouth. 

Bokuto laughed like he had done a great deed. Akaashi sighed again. 

"Did you finish your lunch, Yamaguchi?" Asked Fukurodani's setter.

"Oh, not yet, I'll do it right now! What about you guys?" 

"Yes, we just finished ours, so you don't need to worry about it. Have a pleasant meal." Akaashi answered and started to drag Bokuto away in order to leave Tadashi in peace to go back to his table. 

"Bye bye, freckles!" The captain said, waving energetically. 

What an odd duo. But they were nice, and also very talented at volleyball. And, to Tadashi's surprise, Akaashi could be gentle when he wanted to. Well, he shouldn't have assumed anything about the guy, he didn't even know him. 

He went back to his table where Tsukki eyed him quizzically, already having finished his food. "What took you so long, did you get lost or something?"

"Oh, actually I just ran into Akaashi and Bokuto." He took a bite of his almost forgotten lunch. "They are... nice."

"That's one way of putting it." 

Tadashi made a puff of laugther at that and continued to eat.

"So, did you get enough sleep tonight? You look energetic." Tsukki said casually after some minutes, trying to not seem very interested on the subject. Tadashi knew he was worried about him spending one more night restless. He felt good about being asked, it made him feel cared for, in a way.

"Yeah, don't worry, Tsukki! I went to sleep earlier, even!"

"That's good." The other teen mumbled, trying to not show his satisfaction with that asnwer. It was okay, Tadashi knew he was happy with it. 

xXx

"Okay, team, we did a good job today!" Said Sugawara to the whole team at their shared room, smiling in his charming way. "Tomorrow we won't have the first morning match, so you can sleep for a little longer or wake up to train or watch the other matches!"

"Hey, Yamaguchi, do you wanna wake up early and train for a bit more?" Asked Nishinoya from behind him. 

Tadashi hummed, thinking about it. "Sure, good idea!" He needed to practice as much as he could to perfect his serving and get to be a regular on the team. He was glad Nishinoya had offered, or else he probably would have to just watch the other matches alone or something.

Of course, if he were to invite Tsukki to wake up early and watch them with him, the other would complain but still be up at seven am sharp to go keep him company. Still, Tadashi didn't want to bother him, so Nishinoya's offer was on good timing.

They all shared their 'good nights' and went to sleep. Tadashi felt a bit hyped, waiting for morning to come soon so he could train and improve himself even more. 

xXx

It was six am and Tadashi was wide awake. He tossed and turned, but just couldn't go back to sleep. Everyone in the room was still snoring and he just couldn't shut his eyes anymore. 

So he got up, went to the bathroom to change his clothes and brush his teeth, went back to the room to put his pajamas in his bag and went to the kitchen to get breakfast. He might as well make good use of his time.

What he didn't expect was to find Akaashi there using an flowery apron while making tea and cutting some onions.

"Oh... Good morning, Akaashi." He said, a little surprised.

"Good morning, Yamaguchi. Did you have a good night of rest?" The other said casually, beating an egg in the small bowl he was using. 

"Yeah... And what about you?" Suddenly, Tadashi remembered how long it had been since he had last cooked something, and decided he wanted to help the other cook whatever it was that he was doing. 

"I slept fine, thank you for asking."

"So... What are you cooking?" He asked, going a bit closer to the other.

"Oyakodon. Would you like some?" 

"Sounds good! I can help you with it!" 

At that Akaashi finally looked up at him. "Oh, there's no need, I'm already used to doing this by myself, so you don't have to worry." 

"Ah, I see... still, I'd like to help..." Tadashi mumbled, a bit let down with the rejection.

Something must have been shown on his face because Akaashi relented. "That's fine, then. There's another apron on that drawer over there. And I think you can find a hair tie on that shelf." 

Tadashi beamed and went to grab the things. He put the kitten patterned apron on and tied his short hair. He washed his hands and went back to Akaashi's side. 

"I'm ready! What do you want me to do?" He asked, getting excited.

"Do you know how to cut the chicken?" 

"Yeah! Leave it to me!" 

While Tadashi cut it carefully, Akaashi finished making the green tea he was doing before and poured it into two mugs. He left one at the table and drank from one. "There's tea for you, if you want some while we cook." 

"Okay, thanks!" Akaashi really was considerate. Yamaguchi decided he liked him. 

He finished the cutting and washed his hands again to grab his mug. The tea was sweet and warm, pleasantly sliding down his throat. 

Akaashi put the chicken with some onions and sauce on a pan and started frying them. They waited some minutes and Tadashi added the beaten eggs and mitsuba parsley to it. 

Akaashi kept frying it and Tadashi grabbed two bowls from a cupboard and put some rice (that Akaashi had already left prepared) into them. 

The chicken-and-eggs combo was placed on top of both bowls and their oyakodon was ready. It was actually a quick and easy meal to make. Tadashi was surprised to find that they had all these ingredients there, he thought they were kept at the cafeteria's kitchen.

They sat by the table facing each other. "Thank you for the food." They said and started eating. 

Tadashi hummed in contentment. "This is really good, Akaashi!" 

"Yes, I think we did well." The other boy said with a little soft smile. 

Tadashi noticed at that moment how much he missed cooking. It had been a long time since he last cooked a meal, as he usually had lunch at school and went out to have dinner after practice. He decided he needed to cook more often for him and his mother. 

They finished eating and cleaned up, Akaashi washing the dishes while Tadashi dried them. 

Tadashi talked about how his training was going and how he wanted to be a regular on the team, Akaashi making some commentary sometimes, but mostly leaving the talking to the Karasuno's first year. 

Eventually, Tadashi started to talk about how he admired Bokuto and his talent and Akaashi started to talk as well, mostly about the Fukurodani's ace's over energy and mood swings mid match, with a fond tone.

When they finished, Tadashi mentioned he was going to train, as Nishinoya would wake up soon, and Akaashi said he had time before his morning match, so they both went to the gym. 

Nishinoya found them training receives and took the opportunity to train his setting. Soon, one of Akaashi's teammates came to call him and he left the two Karasuno's players by themselves. 

xXx

Lunch these days were when something had to happen to Tadashi, apparently. He and Tsukki were eating, as usual, when Bokuto appeared out of thin air and put his tray down on their table. 

"Freckles! I'm glad I found you!" 

"His name is Yamaguchi." Tsukki said, grumpy that their lunch was interrupted for the third consecutive day. 

"Hello to you too, glasses!" 

"Bokuto, did you need me for something?" Said Yamaguchi before Tsukki could give one of his salty replies.

"Oh, yeah! So, Freckles-"

"Yamaguchi." Tsukki interrupted.

"Fine, fine, Yama, I have to thank you!" 

"Thank me?" Tadashi said, at the same time Tsukki murmmured an annoyed "Yama?" 

"Yeah! Akaashi was in a really good mood today and we played even better than usual, so I guess I have you to thank!" 

Tadashi felt himself blush a bit at that, but still beamed. "Oh, I'm glad to hear that, then!"

Tsukki looked at him quizzically again, as if asking "what are you two talking about?" with his eyes.

"Bokuto." Said Akaashi from behind the other Fukurodani player. Bokuto jumped in surprise and left a high pitched scream. Tsukki and Tadashi covered their ears, Tadashi snickering a bit about the exaggerated reaction. "I was looking for you." The setter continued, unbothered. 

The setter also decided to sit at their table. Looked like they were going to have company again. Tsukki didn't look so pleased at this, but he could endure it for Tadashi.

"Yamaguchi, how was the rest of your training?" Akaashi asked, making the others look at him in surprise for being the one to start a conversation.

"It was great, Noya is a very good player! When we started to train my serving I could only make one of my floating balls pass by him, but it's progress still!" 

"Yes, it is." He nodded in agreement. After a slight pause, as if he was considering something, he went on. "If you'd like, I could show some focusing techniques that I use before important games. I think they could help you to calm down and get better accuracy at your serves."

Tadashi blinked, stunned by his generosity. It seemed that Akaashi had taken a like to him for some reason. Well, he wouldn't complain. "Yes, I'd love to hear them!" 

"Akaashi, teach them to me too!" Exclaimed Bokuto, pouting a bit in order to look cute, Tadashi guessed. It wasn't really working, but at least he tried.

"Bokuto, I already tried to, remember?" 

"Oh, yeah, that's right. But try again, this time I'll get them, for sure!" 

Akaashi looked at the other for some seconds and sighed. "Alright, I can try, Bokuto." 

"Yeah! Come on, teach Yama, Glasses and me!" 

"Oi, why am I involved in this?" Tsukki asked, annoyed about being dragged back into the conversation. "And I already said his name is Yamaguchi." He mumbled, just to be petty.

"Well, this is a table meeting, so of course you are involved, Tsukki-poo!" Bokuto said proudly, as if it made sense. The other three boys at the table just murmured and unbelieving "Tsukki-poo?" 

"Don't call me that, and this isn't a 'table meeting'." The middle blocker said, just to be promptly ignored. 

"Anyway, we all finished eating already, right? So, let's go! Akaashi, lead the way to knowledge!" Bokuto said, standing up suddenly and raising the volume of his voice. 

Akaashi, probably already used to it, just complied and stood up as well. Tadashi, genuinely interested in these techniques, followed him and Tsukki, done with this, pretended to follow them but took a turn when they were passing one corridor, waving discretely at Tadashi as a "see you later." 

In the end, Tadashi learnt one breathing technique and that Bokuto has a very short attention span when it comes to anything that isn't volleyball. 

xXx

It was a quarter to one am and the only sound that could be heard at the dorms building was the one of two players hitting their Switch's buttons. 

After the extra night training, Tadashi felt restless. So, when the clock hit midnight and he hadn't slept yet, he just gave up on doing so and left the room, taking his Switch with him. 

He went to Nekoma's room and opened the door slowly, just to see if Kenma was awake. Wich he was, and both boys made their way to the kitchen again to play Splatoon 2 together. 

They were focused on their arena battle, so much that they almost didn't hear the sound of a door opening. Keyword: almost.

Tadashi freezed on spot, looking at the kitchen's entrance. Kenma didn't, putting the game as a priority, and defeated Tadashi's character while the other was distracted. 

The sounds of gaming must have attracted someone's attention and steps could be heard getting closer to the kitchen. 

"Yamaguchi, Kozume?" Asked Sugawara, his voice slurring from sleep. Even with his tousled hair and reddish cheeks he still looked angelical as always. "What are you two doing up?" 

"Oh, we just couldn't sleep. What about you, Suga?" Asked Yamaguchi in a whisper.

Sugawara paused, as if having to process the question in his just-woke-up state. "I wanted a glass of water."

Yamaguchi hummed, not knowing how to continue the conversation. Kenma nudged him to continue the game, and so both went back to it while Sugawara filled a cup with water.

After one more battle round, Sugawara decided to speak again. "Hey, you both should try to go to sleep now."

"Yeah, we'll just play some more rounds and go, don't worry." Said Tadashi absently, still focused in the game. 

"Yamaguchi, I think you should try to go now. You and Kozume already played enough." 

"Oh... But... Just one more round?" He said, not unlike a petulant child talking with his mother.

"Yamaguchi, now." He said with a finality that left no room for argument. Tadashi sulked, but he wouldn't complain more to the vice-captain. 

"Alright then. You should go too, Kenma, we can play more after lunch if you want to." 

"Yeah, I'll find you. Good night, Tadashi." Kenma said quietly, shying away from the Karasuno players and going back to Nekoma's room.

They looked at him going and started to go to their own room. "Sorry for ruining your fun, Yamaguchi, but I get worried about you being too tired to enjoy the camp at it's fullest. It's almost ending, it would be a waste if you couldn't benifit from it because of your lack of sleep." Sugawara said kindly, looking at him with a concerned expression. 

"It's ok, I know you mean well, Suga. Thanks for worrying." He smiled to reassure the other boy. "Still, I couldn't go to sleep now even if I tried." 

They stopped on their way, both staring at each other in the dark. "Why not?" 

"I don't really know, I just... Feel restless, I guess." Tadashi shrugged. 

"Oh, I see..." Sugawara put his hand on his chin, as if he was thinking about something. "Well, I'm not sure if I would be able to fall asleep again now... We could go outside and run for a bit, burn some of our pent up energy, if you'd like to." 

"Really? I don't want to bother you or anything..."

"Really, it's ok. C'mon, let's go, shall we?" The vice captain said, already going in the door's direction. Tadashi smiled and followed him.

xXx

The fresh and cold night air blew past them, ruffling their slightly sweaty hair. Sugawara and Tadashi sat on the ground, looking at the starry sky, catching their breath. The grass tickled them, the sounds of crickets were the only thing breaking the silence. 

"Are you feeling sleepy now, Yamaguchi?" 

He let out a puff of laugther. "Yeah, I guess I'm tired. And you?"

"Me too." Sugawara smiled, one of these kinds of smiles that lights up the whole room. 

They didn't get up. Both just stared at the sky.

"Yamaguchi..." Sugawara started, still not looking the other in the face. "Is something on your mind lately?"

"Uh..." This was... Very sudden. "No, I guess. Why?"

Sugawara hummed. "It's just... You've been going to sleep very late, and you stay up and training with everyone all day. It must be tiring... I just assumed something was bothering you."

That was... Considerate of him. And sweet, too. Tadashi felt his chest get warm, maybe a bit embarrassed about worrying his senpai, but also feeling cared for. It was a nice feeling. 

"Don't worry, Suga, I'm used to it! Sometimes I just... can't sleep. It's ok, really." He gave his senpai a soft smile to indicate that he was really doing ok.

"That's good, then. Still, if you need to, you can always count on me. On the whole team, really. We'll help you." The setter said confidently, making his words seem to be undoubtedly true. 

Tadashi felt his eyes water a bit. He really wasn't having a bad case of nerves or anything of the sort, but the fact that Sugawara seemed to care so much about his kouhai's well-being made him feel happy. 

He gulped and wiped away his nearly shed tears. He didn't want to worry the other, after all. "Thanks, Suga. It means a lot. And... you can count on me too, if you ever need."

At that Sugawara turned his face to him, a bit surprised but quickly morphing his expression into one of fondness. He stroked Tadashi's hair, making it stick up into every direction. "Alright, thanks, Yamaguchi." They smiled at each other a bit more, not wanting to break the moment. Eventually, Sugawara sighed. "We should get going now. C'mon, up!" 

They got up and went to sleep. When they were both comfortably tucked in their sleeping bags they shared their good nights and finally rested.

xXx

Tadashi was the last one to wake up the following morning. He guessed Sugawara decided to let him sleep as much as he could. He smiled at that.

"What are you smiling at?" Tsukki asked, being the one that had to wake him up.

"Nothing! C'mon Tsukki, let's have some breakfast!" Tadashi said, already heading to the door, feeling reinvigorated.

"At least change your clothes. Unless you want every other school seeing you in pajamas."

"A-ah, you're right! Thanks, Tsukki!" Tadashi said with a giggle, his face burning. 

xXx

Tadashi and Kenma were playing Splatoon 2 at their lunch table, Tsukki watching Tadashi's moves. 

"I won again." Kenma said, in his almost always monotone tone, but Tadashi could recognize some animation about this. 

"You're too good at it!" The freckled boy whined. "Tsukki, it's your turn now, good luck!" He passed his Switch to the taller boy, hoping he could break Kenma's winning streak. It was unlikely, but he could have some hope.

Tsukki was very competitive, maybe he would try harder to win this time! 

"Hey hey hey, Yama!" 

"Hello, Yamaguchi."

The three boys turned to look at Bokuto and Akaashi. They had already eaten their lunch, but sat at the table anyway.

"Nice serve you did on your match against Shinzen today. I hope the breathing technique helped you to calm your nerves a bit." Said Akaashi, making Tadashi blush a bit because holy shit, Akaashi was paying attention to his serve? 

"Y-yeah, it did, thanks again, Akaashi!" Tadashi said, flustered. He even bowed a little to show his gratitude. 

"I'm glad, then." He smiled and whow, Akaashi and Sugawara's smiles must have some kind of super power. They always make him feel his heart skip a beat. 

"Akaashi! Tell him the good news!" Said Bokuto, looking like he was about to shake his setter by the shoulders from anticipation.

"Good news?" Asked Tsukki in a skeptic tone, involving himself in the conversation. This distraction was enough to make Kenma win again, but the taller blond seemed focused on Tadashi, not even realizing it. 

"Yeah, great news! Amazing news!"

All eyes on the table turned to Akaashi, waiting for him to explain what Bokuto was talking about. Even Kenma seemed mildly interested. 

"Well... What Bokuto wants me to say is that we talked with Gōra, Ubugawa's captain, and he was willing to help you train your serves. I know that training camp is almost over, but it would be good if you went to train with him tonight." 

Tadashi's eyes went wide, he almost dropped his mouth open in surprise. Fukurodani's captain and vice captain had arranged him some training time with the captain of one of the strongest teams he had ever seen. 

He didn't even know what to say to them, he was just so happy. "I-I'm- you didn't need to- I- Whow! Thank you so much, I'll meet him tonight for sure!" Tadashi beamed, his eyes blurring with happy tears as he bowed again, even lower this time. 

Bokuto laughed with his booming voice, seeing quite pleased with himself. "No problem, kid!"

Akaashi put a hand on his shoulder, looking him on the eye with determination. "We know how hardworking you are. You will do even better than you already are with Gōra's help, even if you have little time with him. Make the best of it." 

"I-I will! Thank you!" He turned to Tsukki and Kenma. Tsukki had a little smile, almost imperceptible, and Tadashi thought he was proud of him. Kenma was impressed, nodding to him as support. 

Tadashi's smile grew larger. 

xXx

He went to extra practice smiling. Worked harder than ever because he needed to do better, be better. Went to Karasuno's room smiling and sweaty and aching all over and tired and feeling so wonderfully alive. 

"So? How was it?" Asked Tsukki after they had taken a bath and were ready to go to sleep. 

"It was amazing! His team is very good at serves, you had to have seen it, Tsukki!" And Tadashi went on a full ramble about his training and how he admired Ubugawa now even more. He rambled until the lights went off, until everyone else in the room was sleeping, until he was out of breath, until it was only him and Tsukki.

They were lying down on their side in their sleeping bags, looking at each other. Tsukki looked so soft like this, in the dark, listening to everything Tadashi had to say. 

"You seem happy." Tsukki said in a soft tone and soft eyes and soft lips and everything about him was just screaming security and warmth to Tadashi. In that moment it was like they were having another one of their sleepovers, it was like when they would lay side by side on Tsukki's big bed and just listen to music or talk about their day. 

Tadashi felt it again. That warm feeling, the one that made him feel good, made him feel safe and cared for. When he was with Tsukki he always felt like that, but somehow he could feel it even more in that moment. His heart was hammering wildly in his chest, he was starting to sweat a bit, he felt hot all over. 

It was nice.

"I am." Tadashi said, smiling one of his big goofy smiles, the type that made his eyes crinkle at the corner and his cheeks hurt. 

Tsukki didn't say anything to that, but Tadashi could feel he was happy with that response. It was too dark to see if the other was smiling or not, but Tadashi liked to think that he was.

They fell asleep looking at each other's direction and woke up almost cuddling, Tadashi somehow hugging Tsukki's arm with all his might. It was a good night. 

xXx

Training camp ended with a barbeque and many phone numbers being traded around. 

Tadashi got Kenma's, with a promise to keep playing online with him, Akaashi's, to call if he wanted some advice, and Gōra's, in case he went to Tokyo again and wanted to train more. 

He slept in the bus, head on Tsukki's shoulder and grin on his face.

xXx

The team went back to Miyagi and to their normal routines. 

Tadashi had his days as usual. Morning trainings, classes, afternoon trainings, going out with Tsukki, hanging around at each others houses, going to bed. 

But now, whenever he couldn't sleep he had Kenma to call and ask for a multiplayer match, he had Akaashi to send memes he found on the internet at whatever time he was awake at, he had Tsukki to send songs he heard while watching YouTube. 

Sometimes he texted them, sometimes he didn't want to be a bother, but it was nice to know that he had more people he could count on, no matter at what time.

xXx

Tadashi stared at his bedroom ceiling. The ceiling stared at him, the glowing stars stickers making him remember the day he put them there.

He sighed. 

The team had been training for the Spring High Tournament. Tadashi kept training his jump float serve but he feels like it isn't enough. It never is. 

The scene at the Aobajohsai match keeps on replay on his head, tormenting him. He thinks that maybe this time it will be good, it will score for his team, but the ball always hits the net and falls back. 

He felt jittery. He tugged on his hair. He turned around on his bed. He dugged the palms of his hands on his eyes until he's seeing black spots dancing in his vision. He turned around again.

It was for no avail. He wasn't going to get some shut eye that night. At least his mom wasn't sleeping at their home, as she had to stay in another district for the night to attend a business meeting there in the morning. She knew Tadashi could take care of himself just fine, so she went. It wasn't for long, anyway.

But this fact gave him the perfect opportunity to do something he hadn't done in some time: cook at who-knows-when-am.

So he got up, picked his cellphone from the bedside table and went to his kitchen. Time to get something done. But... What?

He put on his favorite playlist on Spotify and went to scroll through some of his saved recipes, waiting to see one that he had the ingredients for. 

That was until he saw the new one for strawberry shortcake he wanted to try. He looked inside his fridge, finding some strawberries there. 

He smiled, satisfied. Well, it was time to get to work!

xXx

The next day he and Tsukki met each other on their way to school, as they always did. 

"Good morning, Tsukki!"

"Yamaguchi, did you even sleep this night?" He may have sounded blunt to anyone else, but Tadashi knew this was him getting worried about his sleeping schedule yet again.

"I baked some cake!" Tadashi said instead, ignoring Tsukki's question. His refusal to answer was answer enough, a clear: "No, I didn't sleep nearly as much as I should have."

"You didn't go to sleep because you were baking?" 

"Yep!" Both knew that this wasn't the reason at all, the baking was just a consequence of not being able to go to sleep due to his own doubts, but neither acknowledged it out loud. "Will you want to eat some at lunch break? It's a strawberry shortcake, just the way you like!" 

Tsukki would never turn down strawberry shortcake, specially if it was one baked by Tadashi. "Sure." He said, simply, but Tadashi knew he appreciated it. 

xXx

Ah, yes, two am. Tadashi couldn't hear any sound other than his own soft breathing. And his loud loud thoughts and doubts, of course. 

He was looking through twitter, as his Switch's batery had run off. He refreshed his initial page, not really waiting for there to be anything new at this hour. He was surprised to see a tweet by Sugawara, as he had thought the vice captain usually went early to bed.

Tadashi considered what his next move could be. He could just try to install some game on his phone to distract himself or he could try to talk with Sugawara for a bit. 

He decided to do the latter and went to his dms. 

Yama_Gucci: hey suga, what are you doing up this late?

The response was almost immediate.

Suga as Karasuno's mom: nothing much, just woke up suddenly and couldn't go back to sleep

Suga as Karasuno's mom: what about you? is everything ok? 

Tadashi wasn't sure if he should tell the other about his worries. He really didn't want his senpai to be concerned, so he quickly decided to not bother him with it.

Yama_Gucci: yeah, don't worry :)

Yama_Gucci: but you should go try to get some sleep >:(

Tadashi knew what an irony was that coming from him. But he was a bit worried about Sugawara's sleeping schedule, so here they were.

Suga a Karasuno's mom: lol I'll in a bit

Suga as Karasuno's mom: you sure everything is ok? 

Tadashi appreciated Sugawara freting about his well-being, of course he did. He felt a little compelled to try to tell the other everything he was feeling, all at once, but he knew that it wasn't a good idea, as his two-am ideias usually didn't end so well.

Yama_Gucci: yeah, really, dw

Yama_Gucci: just need to figure some things out ig

There, it was sounding casual, right? Nothing to lose sleep over. For Sugawara, at least.

Suga as Karasuno's mom: alright then, hope you can figure out just how amazing you are :)

Tadashi blinked. He blinked again, thinking the message was a sleep-induced ilusion, but as he opened his eyes to see it still there he felt himself blush at the compliment. Sugawara thought he was amazing? 

Suga as Karasuno's mom: hey, Yama, you there? 

He must have stood still in shock for too long, or at least long enough for Sugawara to think he had fallen asleep.

Yama_Gucci: yeah, thx suga ><

Suga as Karasuno's mom: good, pls remember you're important to our team, ok? to all of us!! and you're awesome!!

Suga as Karasuno's mom: I'm going to sleep now, gn Yama!!

Yama_Gucci: ok, I'll keep it in mind, thx suga :))

Yama_Gucci: sweet dreams!! 

Seeing Sugawara genuinely caring about him and his over thinking habit made him feel a bit more convinced by his vice captain's words. He could tell the setter meant them. 

He decided to follow his senpai's example and tried to sleep again, with more succes than he'd had in the last few minutes. 

xXx

It sure had been a tiring week for Tadashi.

"What's been bothering you?"

"Uh?" The freckled boy said, very intellectually. 

Tsukki sighed and put his pencil down on the table. "I know there's something on your mind. What is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it!" 

Tsukki stared at him. It made Tadashi feel a little nervous, as if his childhood friend could look straight at his soul and see the insecurities that kept him awake at night. 

They were both at Tsukki's room, doing homework after school. Spring High Tournament's date was coming close, and that definitely was reason enough to get anxious and not be able to go to sleep, right? 

Tsukki seemed to have guessed where his thoughts were going. "Yamaguchi. You'll do fine, you've been practicing your serves more than anyone." He said in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it meant that Tadashi would succed because he had worked hard. But Tadashi had thought this as well, before the match against Aobajohsai, and look at how that went.

"What if it hits the net again?" He whispered, looking down. "What if it goes out? What if they just receive it as they would do with any other serving?" He gulped, fiddling with his own pencil in his hands. "What if... I'm just not good enough?" The last phrase being said in an almost inaudible tone.

"It won't, I'm sure of it. You'll score us a point." Tsukki said, with so much conviction that Tadashi lifted his head up. "And even if, for some stroke of bad luck, it does hit the net or goes out or whatever, the team will get the point back and you'll just have to try again on the next set, and keep trying until it works." 

Tadashi blinked, surprised at his friend's words. He... wasn't expecting this. Tsukki never was good at conforting others and talking about feelings, so when did he learn to do this? 

The freckled boy gave him a tiny wobbly smile. He looked as if he was going to burst in tears at any second. "Thanks, Tsukki." His voice cracked a bit, but he felt better. 

After all, if he got it wrong again, he would just have to keep trying.

xXx

They had a sleepover that night, as Tsukki decided that it was too dark out to send Tadashi home. 

He didn't even bother to put the futon on the ground as he knew they would end up sharing the bed as always, anyway. 

Tadashi had his head on Tsukki's chest, hearing his calm heartbeat. Their legs were tangled, one of Tsukki's hands was on Tadashi's waist, while the other was massaging his hair. 

He couldn't be more relaxed anywhere. Tadashi felt that heaven must be something like this. 

It was an intimate scene, maybe one that people that were more-than-friends would share with each other, but neither of them felt uncomfortable with the proximity or the butterflies they could feel at the moment, so they stayed like that.

As he heard Tsukki start to drift off, he pulled closer, snuggled his head more and whispered a soft "Thanks Tsukki, sweet dreams." 

Both had a good night of sleep. 

xXx

Yeah, sometimes Yamaguchi Tadashi couldn't sleep.

Wich, in fact, was a recurring event in his life. His anxiety and worries kept him awake oftentimes. Thoughts of not being good enough to be on the team plaged his mind. 

But it would be ok, because whenever he had this thoughts he knew his friends would be there for him, even if it was past two am. And, more importantly, he knew Tsukki would also be there, soothing his worries and making him feel secure. 

Yamaguchi Tadashi couldn't sleep, but as long as he had Tsukishima Kei and his other friends to keep him company, he knew would be fine.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah that was it, thanks so much for reading until here and I hope you liked it!! Stay safe and use a face mask and alchool in gel everytime you go out!! 
> 
> Man, I had many thoughts while writing this, like "Should I put the whole "shut up Yamaguchi" and "Sorry Tsukki" thing or nah?" I decided to leave it out because I thought it didn't fit the mood very well, but I think it's cute!! 
> 
> You may have noticed while reading that I have a slight crush on Sugawara, but like in my defense look at him, he's an angel-
> 
> Akaashi and Bokuto are kinda hard to write and I feel I didn't do them justice, they are just really amazing so idk I got a bit nervous trying to characterize them here. I wanted to add some Kuroo and Yachi interactions as well but the bokuaka duo were already enough of a challenge.
> 
> Oh also, tsukkiyama isn't dating here, they are just really good (gay for each other) friends. I decided to not make them start dating because of some reasons:  
> 1- this fic is more about Yamaguchi and his relationship with others and I couldn't really focus on only tsukkiyama moments to make it make sense  
> 2- I feel like it would feel kinda rushed (??)  
> 3- IF I decide to write some continuation or smth, having them single but pining™ will leave more options of what I could work with
> 
> Additionally, I will start haikyuu season four tomorrow so I'm very excited for it!!!
> 
> Se vc é br vai no twitter e lê as au tsukkiyama que vale a pena juro tem cada uma que me deixa tão boiola que nossa senhora- 
> 
> não sei como acabar as notas mas é isso se cuidem, vlw por lerem até aqui <3


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